Hilton Development Process

From your first phone call to your first day of business, you'll have support from a dedicated project director. Their expertise, coupled with the operational and marketing resources of Hilton, makes developing and opening one of our properties a rewarding and profitable venture.

Develop a Property in 21 Steps

step

01

Reach out to us.

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Your assigned Hilton developer gives you a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) and a franchise sales kit, and works with you on a market.

step

02

Find out more about our Franchise Program.

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You sign, date and return the FDD receipt to your Hilton developer. The developer discusses the site and market with you, and may visit the site.

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03

Location, location, location.

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Gain site control (i.e., purchase contract, option to purchase, etc.), if you do not already own or lease the site. We may require you to prepare a market study that discusses the competition for your proposed hotel and anticipated operating results.

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04

There's even an app for this.

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Complete the Franchise License Application and include a site plan, and send it to the Hilton developer with the initial fee. The developer reviews the completed application and forwards it to Development Contract Administration. We conduct a background check of you and your principals (this process usually takes 2 weeks if the information you submitted is complete).

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05

We'll introduce you to Hilton.

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As a courtesy, we notify existing franchisees in the area. In evaluating your application, we may consider any relevant market information brought to our attention by existing Hilton franchisees in the area.

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06

Getting the green light.

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The developer submits a project summary to the Hilton Franchise Development Committee members for approval. The process usually takes 30 to 60 days.

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07

Welcome to the Hilton portfolio of brands.

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Development Contract Administration sends you an approval letter and a franchise license agreement. Carefully read the entire document and check it for design and construction deadlines.

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08

Make it official.

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Sign the franchise license agreement by the deadline and return it to Development Contract Administration.

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09

Get your new team together.

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Contact your Hilton project manager to set up a pre-design meeting with you and your architect. The project manager will give you a Hilton Standards Manual, and related materials. You may also obtain these items from the Architecture & Construction section of this website. The project manager explains what to expect.

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10

Work with talent you know.

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Submit a résumé for an interior designer and architect for review and approval by Hilton.

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11

Share your ideas with us.

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Send preliminary plans and specifications to the Hilton project manager for review and comments.

Incorporate comments and submit 100 percent plans and specifications. (Submit plans to your local Building Department for approval.) When you have included final comments from the project manager & from the local Building Department, return the plans to Hilton for issuance of final set.

Obtain a Certificate of Occupancy from your local Building Department and fax to the project manager. The project manager visits the hotel and completes a preopening checklist approximately four to seven days before scheduled opening.

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19

Boot-up the system.

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About two days before opening, our Hilton technology specialists install the required property management system computer equipment. They stay until two days after opening to help train your team.

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20

Open a quality hotel.

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The Hilton Quality Assurance team (QA) arrives the day of your scheduled opening to review outstanding construction items and an operational checklist. QA verifies that the hotel is ready to open. QA has final approval to open the hotel.